Tagged by Celi from The Kitchen Garden to answer 10 questions

to take part in this fun blogging exercise. At first glance, I thought it looked fairly easy but it’s not! I did however have great fun trying to answer them as honestly as possible so here goes… I spent too much time on question one but I promise I haven’t written an essay in reply to every question. Plus I’m sorry there’s no photos today but I’m writing this from a hotel as I’m away on business…

Describe yourself in seven words Only seven??? Seriously??? 🙂 LOL

Stubborn as the proverbial mule. Ask my husband and he’ll vouch for this. Once I dig my heels in, there’s no turning back… unless I’m wrong, then I have no qualms in doing an about-turn and apologising profusely, which probably happens more than I care to admit.

Bossy. The PR description would probably be to say ‘authoritative’. I am undoubtedly demanding and hard work. But I’m fun too.

Logical/pragmatic. I’m cheating here as I’m proposing a 2-in-1 but there’s a story in it…. My best friend and I often discuss our partners’ behaviours (husbands would say “whinge”) and we have this saying about them:

‘Why would (our) men do anything simply

when they can make things as complicated as possible?’

Both our husbands are far smarter than we are (like walking encyclopaedia smart) but ask them to solve/fix a problem and you’ll get the most complicated solution that will normally and inevitably require tools or reams of cables/wires – if it gets solved at all :-P. My problem solving skills are simple: plan to get from A to B in the fastest and most convenient way possible. That way I can turn to doing things I actually want to do.

Introverted. For someone working in PR, this might be a bit strange but I am happy to be a bit of a loner and can also become quite uncomfortable when too many people are around. I genuinely prefer being ‘in the background’, an observer rather than the observed, though few people believe me when I say that. I’m much more comfortable spending time on my own, especially in my own head.

Day dreamer: Meditation is an enigma to me as I can never stop my mind from working (but I normally swop the ‘or’ for ‘an’ in w–king). I’m also a worrier; I worry about everything, from silly things to serious. My brain never stops, which is why I have problems sleeping.

Gourmand C’mon, I started a food blog, didn’t I? 🙂 And it’s a much nicer word than glutton, though I have called myself that before too.

Shopaholic. A terrible vice I try to control all the time

What keeps me up at nightNoises. I hate them. Or the cats jumping on my head. I am a really, really light sleeper. I can turn my ears off against most street noise (cars, trains, etc) but the tiniest creak of wood will convince me that burglars (or zombies) are breaking into my house. You think I’m kidding but I’m not. So what did we do? We bought a really old, creaky house in the countryside, close to the main road and a mere 10 minutes from a hospital (did you ever watch the move 28 Days Later? See the way my mind works yet?)

Who would I like to be?

Ask me this question every day and I’ll give you a different answer each time. When I was a kid, I wanted to be any one of the kids in either Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood/Faraway Tree or in The Adventures of the Wishing Chair. I also wanted to be a boy for a day so I could know what it is like to pee standing up. I’d also like to be a cat sometimes, if only so I can spend two thirds of my life sleeping or being fed and stroked. But most of the time when I’m not imagining I’m Lucy Liu, I’m generally very, very happy being me. 🙂

What am I wearing right now?

My spectacles, which I now have to wear again because I’m getting old, am Chinese and have inherited bad eyesight from my many, many bad-sighted ancestors.

What scares me?

Again, noises and horror movies and spiders. Zombies naturally. I’m turning into a right wuss as I get older.

The best and worst of blogging

The best – learning to open up to strangers. Even though I started writing about food, I actually love it more when people say I make them laugh with some of my stories. I like being able to spread a little joy and cheer around.

The worst – not having the time to do more, see my husband more, write more, cook more, read more, sleep more…

The last website I visited

My corporate website (for work) but that’s hardly interesting for you to know. Once I’m home, I’m probably visiting your blog! And watching silly youtube videos in bed. Have you seen the one of the baby owl blissing out on someone stroking its head? Brilliant.

What is the one thing I would change about myself

Easy. My nose. I once slept with a peg on my noise to try and make it straighter. Just ended up making it more red and swollen and even rounder than it already is. FYI, I’d NEVER have a nose job in all seriousness. I do however still like pulling my nose down, which makes my eyes squinty like alien eyes, which still keeps freaking my husband out every time.:)

Slankets yes or no?

I have thought about it because I don’t like the cold but I think they’re too stupid so I’m unlikely to ever buy one.

Tell us a little bit about the person that tagged you.

I can’t remember how I came by Celi’s blog. It was her beautiful pictures that first reeled me in but it’s her stories that have made me stay. One of her stories was what really got me thinking more about the food I was cooking and eating, and inspired me to try and eat all the colours of the rainbow. I still post really naughty recipes but at the same time, I’m thinking about rainbows in the background all the time, and when I can re-balance the bad recipes with some good ones.

Her life’s stories, the adventures and challenges of keeping a farm (always with beautiful pictures) makes me ponder my life and the ‘what ifs’ that might be. I’m not saying I’d like to keep a farm too (I’m way too lazy) but she changed her life, moved countries(!) etc to start a new one.

Finally, because of her photos, I’m learning to take time-outs too; to try and remember to look around and appreciate the things I have, and the beautiful things that are probably right in front of me but which I’m not really seeing.

And the fact that she’s secretly quite shy makes her posts all the more amazing.

To Celi, I hope I haven’t embarrassed you too much, but I did this post because it really is a nice way of saying “I’m glad we’ve ‘met’ and thanks.”

So, the final part of today’s exercise is to tag some one else but I’m having problems adding links to these other bloggers. I therefore hope they know I’ve tagged them! Let me be honest here, I’ve tagged you all because I’m also extremely nosey (see I knew I could never stop at 7 words!) and as I love your blogs, want more info about you guys 🙂

Comments

When I was a little girl I wondered what it would be like peeing standing up – love that you thought about that too. Thanks for the tag by the way:) I love getting to know the bloggers that I follow on a more personal level, just nosy and curious. Thanks so much for sharing more about yourself:)

Merciful heaven you mad Gorgeous Ghinese girl .. you made me cry and laugh all at the same time. And THAT is not easy to do! Anyway I love your nose and you are very naughty! And I also am a light sleeper, though I go to sleep easily but I would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS buy a creaky house near a hospital! Rock on honey! c

It is staring at all of those super small Chinese characters for hours at a time. That is why we need spectacles… I never needed glasses until I started to learn Chinese. I am certain it has nothing to do with our age- thats our story and I am sticking to it. LOL Great to know more about you. Take Care, BAM